TEAM CHINA WINS FIRST GOLD IN FREE COMBINATION, RUSSIAN MIXED DUET BACK ON TOP

In team Russia absence in the start lists of the Free Combination event team China largely dominated the field. Russia grabbed their first gold medal of the World championships in Budapest after having two silver in team routines.

The Chinese squad executed a spectacular and powerful performance, improving their preliminary result (95,5333) and winning their combi routine with 96,1000 points, well ahead of Ukraine and Japan.

The theme of the best free combination of the event was “Master and commander”, in which the Chinese team compared competing with their rivals and fighting for the medal with struggling with the elements. At the beginning of the program we saw the violent storm with waves crashed against the rock, at the end – a calm sea, the symbol of peace and harmony after the completed mission.

Ukrainian synchronised swimmers placed second (94,0000). According to the expert opinion, they increased the level of the technique and execution in the new Olympic cycle. Team Japan took the bronze (93,2000).

Mixed duet tech

Aleksandr Maltsev and Mikhaela Kalancha (RUS), not satisfied with their silver medal in technical mixed duet final, didn’t allow the judges to doubt their supremacy in the free program.

Looking back, the Italian duet Giorgio Minisini and Manila Flamini had a close win over the Russians (90,2979 and 90,2639 respectively), who were not secure leaders of the ranking after the preliminaries. This time Maltsev and Kalancha got a comfortable advantage with an excellent performance under Louis Prima “Sing, sing, sing” (Benny Goodman orchestration) – first in the prelims (92,0000 against 90,8333 points to Italy) and then in the final, earning 92,6000 points against 91,1000 result of their closest rivals.

As for the Italian free mixed duet, now formed of Minisini and Mariangela Perrupato, they showed to the public the “Lost Paradise”. The interpretation of the Adam and Eva story was produced by Anastasia Ermakova, a former Russian sybchro swimmer, five-time Olympic champion, who now works with team Italy.